Qalaat al-Mahalbeh قلعة المهالبة

Of the more obscure and less-visited castles along the coast, Qalaat al-Mahalbeh (قلعة المهالبة) is one of the most impressive. It is in a fairly good state of preservation and has recently seen a bit of restoration work. In addition, the mountain scenery is beautiful and the castle easy to reach using public transportation. If time allows, it is definitely a good addition to any itinerary of sites around Lattakia (اللاذقية).

 

Getting There: Qalaat al-Mahalbeh (قلعة المهالبة) is incredibly easy to reach using public transportation. Microbuses from the main microbus station in Lattakia (اللاذقية) travel directly to a small village below the castle. The microbus is labeled Lattakia – Astamou – al-Qalaa (اللاذقية – اسطامو- القلعة). The trip takes between 30-45 minutes, and microbuses run until the late afternoon.

Coordinates: 35°32’17.54″N / 36°05’54.47″E

Transliteration Variants: Qalaat al-Mahelbeh

Rating: 6 / 10